Witnesses, Neighbors, and Community in Late Medieval Marseille (New Middle Ages)

In late medieval Marseille, large segments of society showed up in court - fishmongers, sailors, widows, maids, petty lenders, Jews, and Christians - where they argued, cursed, charged, and counter-charged. In the process, they pushed aside Roman and municipal laws to construct their own vernacular code of morality. Witnesses, Neighbors, and Community in Late Medieval Marseille asks how, in a time of crisis, medieval citizens developed an independent sense of ethics based on the needs of their families, neighbors, and clients. Witness testimony from Marseille's court records forms the documentary heart of this book, offering a window onto the dynamics of the city's neighborhoods. Using the role of witness, humble people, often women, became the arbiters of their communities.